The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-12
WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.
Braddock's Battle-F Field and Fort Duquesne-
The Region of Iron and Coal Industry.

sights more realistic of the Internal hereafter
than ride in or ont Of PittsburR along the
banks of the Monongahela, presents to the tray
eier. For nearly ten miles it is enc continued
blaze Of fiery furnace and reeking chimney-top.
Gas has entirely displaced the use of coal, and
no long columns obscure the view. Only IN
the daytime is the sight interfered with-by fly
ing steam. As the locomotive hurts you along
You zee the workingmen, with arms barred to
to their pits and collars rolled back to their shonl
ders, running here and there with glowing met
al, or drawing it out in long, cleaning strands,
like glowing snakee Now open furnace
lights up the face of hardened son of toll SO
that his countenancs is visible hundred yards
distant; and now quickly shut door suddenly
clothes him in darkness and wipes him. for you.
ont of existence. II the Hebrew writer's or
Dante. with no such scenes these. could pict-
IRE to US the horrors or he'll so wildly, what
would they say after having witnessed night
scene of industrial Pittsburgh
How little did Braddock think that upon the
very spot where he split his life blood, would,
in . little over one hundred years. rise great
steel manufacture that, with its clang and
blaze, would have scared all the Indians in the
West into the lakes and the Mississippi
or Braddoeks battlefield we had read ever
since we were able TO spell the words in .
child's history. down to the splendid description
of Parkman in his ''Wolfe and Monteslm." How
we had in boysh pride taken an imaginary
march with his relocated regulars, stepping to
the cheering aud inspiring notes of the fife aud
drum. as the proud BritoE marched mp the en-
erald bank Of the rushing Monongahea that
hot July day, to crush the puerile FraaY And
how greatly did he realize his mistakei Down
yonder they come, full IN view to US
from this little knoll across the creek from
them, fearing nothing. and desDising the
cautions American. What to them. the kings
regulars in red coats and with muskets in their
hands, were the dusky sons of the forest, or the
swarthy Henderson, On they como; they reach
on the north. They cross over and enter
narrow road only twelve feet in width from
bank TO bank, when from rock and tree.
hollow and hillock, calling fire unexpectedly
pours down on them from an unseen but not
unheard-of foe The wilds ring with the whoops
of a willy foe, terrifying already shaken troops.
In vain the red coats fire at trees and rocks
They no foe. their efforts produce no results
The artillery is hurried forward only to sink in
the treacherous creek. The Americans, long
held in contempt by Braddock aud his veterans,
take To the woods" and fight tbs enemy on his
own plan. But what can they aloGe do against
numerous Q foel At last, when 60 DER
cent had fsilen dead or wounded, when the
commander had fallen, the retreat is sounded,
which soon descends into a rout
What q contrast now! Yonder ravine. out OF
which comes the little creek. is choked up with
two dozen houses and the Psnnsylvapia Rail-
road Companys tracks and bridges Tumbled
down and dilapiGated they afford shelter TO q
few people OF the working class. Here and
there run dirty children. Ask any OF them whsre
the battlefield was and they will stare at you in
wonder. only TO say they do not know. Even
the admit population will give you little informa-
tiou of its SITE the anorS of the locomotive,
the clang OF the BELL the Shrek of the whistle,
the stroke on tbs anvil. ne of machinery
of the mill and forge ters rings necessarily day
and night From yonder tall chimrsys the reek-
n LIGHTING
up the grizzly hilltops and rushing wa;ers
Back on the heights. st last, rises a monument
to commemorate the Efforts of soldiers who fell
ineIoriousy Further uD the river bank is
the town proper. peaceful, well-built but dirty
village. with hotel, town hall and q bank In
few minutes we were whisked back to the city,
and hunt ND tbs spot to which the Enelishman
was marching.
It is a pretty sight to stand at the confluence
Of the two rivers that form the great Ohio. On
either side rise the hills three or four hundred
feet in height. soon to shut IN the newly made
river. Looking up the two rivers we them
SPAWNED with many bridges, and bearing on
their bosoms vessels OF many tons. Up the
Monongahea. on our right, are high hills and
at their bases busy manufactures, filing the
air with flying steam. What a country the
Frepchman lost when he blew up his fort and
descended the river! What untold wealth lay
hid from him in the high bluffsi If he had
known this. would he not have put forth
greater effort to retain theml A little over one
hundred years ago. aud the West to civilization
was nothing Now it IS az essential to the East
as food for the body. Erect wall along the
Hudson and in tweuty-four hours the New
England States will be on the road TO starva-
ton. By the abandonment of Fort Duoussue
the Frank gave M tho fertile fields of the great
Northwest Territory and Virginia became his
leeatee.
Within one hundred and fifty yards Of the
confluence of the two rivers stood the old fort
The place is now wretched quarter Never
has it been our misfortune to ses a more squalid
and diiapidated place, or dIrtisr children, that
ran about IN the CUTTERS aud alleys A saloon
keeper has appropriated the name of the fort.
and this was tina only thing that indicated that
the site was in the neigh borhood. Entering a
filthy alley child pointed ont the old rt-buld.
ing. and that WAS all she knew. except to bog a
penny. very unpretentious affair 1t is. An
old brick with hpped roof. the main building
some thirty feet long, twenty wide, two stories
in height. and standing awry with the alloy.
Another part about about fifteen feet square,
story in height. with roof sloping from every
side to peak, and adjoining the main building
seemed to be older than its more pretentious
mate. We did not enter the building; didn't
want to. Our curiosity was satisfied. A few
squares back of the old fort are some fine old
mansions. covering the site where the Indians
tortured the captured Euglishmen, whis the
Freuchmau uUfeelingly looked on from its ram
parts.
A two-hours ride brought Us to the burning
coke-helds OF Connellsviie. A pretty sight
they present when entering the town at
night At intervals, for q quarter OF mile,
they look like a torch-light procession. where
every man carried light large as n barrel.
of Pittsbure. In daylight the town presents an
uninvitiug appearance. Percbed on the hillside
it is dirty rocky and contains many dilapidated
buildings
Leaving Connellsville in the afternoon. we as
cended the beautiful valley OF the Youghiogheny.
No farming lands were visible. The station
never contained half dozen houses, and usu-
ally but one. The road chung TO the river. and
the river to the mountains base. High
MP the sloping sides Of the latter
often hung log cabin. the home Of
gaping children at the stations, almost as I'M
tutored and unkemDt as The original inhabitants
OF those forests. As We wound in aud around
the sinuous river We could see its limpid waters
as il ran over rocky bed, now dropping over a
rocky dam, aud now lying almost mott on ,ess De-
fore taking another leap At Ohio PYLE three
streams meet Enough ground is here found
upon which to build q village OF five hundred
souls, and which claims TO be q good summer re-
sort We have just passed by Mount Braddoek,
on the other side OF the river. and on whose
further side runs the National road, in which
the bones OF the clustering old general were
found, and at last given decent burial near